9 I born and ame acold
10 I ffresse amades the ffyar
11 I se the do with{w+t+}hold that
12 that most I do desyar
13 I se my helpe at hand
14 I se my dethe also
15 I se wer the dothe stond
16 I se my ffryndly ffoo

f. [68v]

17 I se the know my hart
18 and how I kannot stan stain
19 I se the se me smart
20 and how I leff yn pane
21 I se how the dothe se
22 and yet the wel be blynd
23 I se yn helpeyng me
24 the se and wel not ffynd

33 I kan not leffe with{w+t+} stans
34 yt hes to hard a ffawde
35 I wol be ded at tans at once
36 yff yt myt do them good
37 the shal hawe ther rqwest
38 and I must hawe my nend
39 lo her my blody brest to ples t
40 to ples the with{w+t+} unkynd

Written in Mary Shelton's hand, this poem remains unattributed. The poem is an adaptation of “The louer refused of his loue imbraceth death,” a poem which appears in Tottel's Miscellany as item 207.[1] A letter that resembles a "w" follows the poem, but scholars have not attributed this poem to Sir Thomas Wyatt. The initial can also be interpreted as an “m,” which may be an indication that the poem was authored by Mary Shelton.

An annotation, possibly entered by H7, appears at the top of the page and reads, “Madame margeret / et madame de Richemont” (68r). Annotations can reveal a great deal about gender identity, Renaissance practice, and courtly reality. This particular annotation seems to reflect the solidarity existing between erstwhile sisters-in-law Mary Howard and Margaret Douglas and may suggest a certain “experimentation” with personal identity. While the annotation identifies Mary Howard as the Duchess of Richmond, Margaret Douglas is given no patriarchal association. A number of marks throughout the manuscript specify known identities. The most significant of these marks concern Mary Shelton, Margaret Douglas, and Mary Howard. For example, the first page of the manuscript features Mary Shelton’s full name as well as “margayg,” and “garet how,” which could represent Margaret Douglas (Howard). Mary Shelton’s full name also appears after a poem in her hand, "A wel I hawe at other lost" (22v), and the acrostic poem entered by H1, “Suffryng in sorow in hope to attain” (7r), spells SHELTVN.